Treaty of Paris between Italy and the Allied Powers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Treaty of Paris (Italy)

France-Italy Boundary after the Treaty of Peace
Signed	10 February 1947
Location	Paris, France
Signatories	Italy France Greece Yugoslavia Albania United States United Kingdom Soviet Union Other Allied Powers Australia Belgium Brazil Canada China Czechoslovakia Ethiopia Netherlands New Zealand Poland South Africa
Depositary	French Government
Languages	French (primary), English, Italian

The Treaty of Paris was a very important agreement signed on February 10, 1947. It officially ended the fighting between Italy and the Allied Powers after World War II. This treaty set out new rules and changes for Italy. It became fully active on September 15, 1947.

Changes to Italy's Borders

After the war, the Treaty of Paris changed Italy's borders and control over some areas. This meant some land that used to belong to Italy was given to other countries.

This map shows how Italy's eastern border changed over time. The yellow area was given to Yugoslavia in 1947. The light green area stayed Italian. The other green and yellow areas became part of the Free Territory of Trieste before being divided later.

Here are some of the main changes:

• Several islands in the Adriatic Sea, like Cres and Lošinj, were given to Yugoslavia.
• Parts of the Istria region and the city of Rijeka also went to Yugoslavia.
• The Italian Islands of the Aegean were given to Greece.
• Small areas like Briga and Tenda were transferred to France.
• The treaty recognized Albania as an independent country. Italy also gave the island of Sazan to Albania.
• Italy gave up its claims to Ethiopia, which became independent again.
• Italy also gave up all its colonies, including Libya, Eritrea, and Somaliland. This meant the Italian Empire officially ended.
• Italy's special trading agreements with China were cancelled. This included giving up a special area in Tianjin that Italy had controlled.

The Free Territory of Trieste

The city of Trieste and the land around it became a new, independent area called the Free Territory of Trieste. This was a special zone. Later, in 1954, Italy took over the administration of Trieste. The rest of the territory was managed by Yugoslavia. These changes were made official in 1975 with the Treaty of Osimo.

Eritrea and Somaliland

Eritrea was joined with Ethiopia in 1952. However, Eritrea later became fully independent in 1991. Somaliland was managed by Italy again for a short time under the United Nations. Then, in 1960, it joined with British Somaliland to form the country of Somalia.

Paying for the War

The Treaty of Paris also made Italy pay "war reparations." This means Italy had to pay money or provide goods and services to countries that were damaged during the war.

Italy had to pay these amounts:

• $125,000,000 US to Yugoslavia
• $105,000,000 US to Greece
• $100,000,000 US to the Soviet Union
• $25,000,000 US to Ethiopia
• $5,000,000 US to Albania

These payments were based on the value of the US dollar in 1946. Italy paid these amounts in goods and services over seven years.

Rules for Italy's Military

The treaty also set rules for Italy's military. These rules were put in place to prevent Italy from becoming a military threat again.

• Italy had to destroy all its permanent forts along the borders with France and Yugoslavia.
• Italy was not allowed to have or build certain weapons. This included atomic weapons, guided missiles, very long-range guns, and certain types of naval mines and torpedoes.
• The size of Italy's military was limited. Italy could have a maximum of 200 heavy and medium tanks.
• People who were officers in certain wartime groups (like the Blackshirts) were not allowed to become officers in the new Italian military.
• The Italian navy was made smaller. Some warships were given to the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. Italy had to sink all its submarines and was not allowed to get new battleships, submarines, or aircraft carriers. The navy could have a maximum of 25,000 personnel.
• The Italian army was limited to 185,000 soldiers, plus 65,000 Carabinieri (a type of military police), for a total of 250,000 personnel.
• The Italian air force was limited to 200 fighters and reconnaissance planes, plus 150 transport and training planes. It was not allowed to have bomber aircraft. The air force could have 25,000 personnel.

Most of these military limits were removed when Italy joined NATO in 1949. NATO is a military alliance of many countries.

Political Rules

The treaty also had political rules for Italy. One important rule was that Italy had to ban all fascist organizations. These were groups that supported the ideas of the former Italian government during the war.

Other Agreements

An extra part of the treaty, called an annex, also included an agreement for the German-speaking people in South Tyrol. This agreement helped protect their culture and language.

See also

• Paris Peace Treaties, 1947
• Armistice of Cassibile